Posted on 09/09/2006 2:36:09 PM PDT by hipaatwo
Via the ABC News blog “Political Punch” comes this message from Michael Scheuer on The Path to 9/11 controversy.
“This morning we received an email from Michael Scheuer, former chief of the Osama bin Laden Unit at the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center (and the previously “Anonymous” author of “Imperial Hubris”) who is clearly no fan of either the Bush nor the Clinton Administrations — nor the 9/11 Commission. He writes the following:
“This whole business over ABC’s movie is amazing. Now Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. and a pack of political whores who pass themselves off as ‘historians’ have come out four-square for pre-publication censorship.
“As I have told you, the core of the movie is irrefutably true: the Clinton administration had 10 chances to capture of kill bin Laden. Had the 9/11 Commission not whitewashed events, personal culpability would have been assigned and we as a nation could have moved on to fight al-Qaeda. The Commission turned out to be hack-dominated, however, and ignored the documents that were presented to them, as well as the testimony it received under oath. Instead of telling the American people that the intelligence regarding bin Laden, al-Qaeda and their intentions was abundant, precise, and not acted on, the Commissioners blamed ‘the structure of the intelligence community’ for the failure and then proceeded to wreck the community with a horrendous reform package.
“The solution is really quite simple, I think. Declassify the documents and testimony of the men and women who risked their lives to collect the intelligence that Clinton and his lieutenants failed to act on. Present this information to the American people — and perhaps put some of those officers on TV to answer questions — and then let the chips fall where they may. If the critics of the ABC movie are so confident they are right, they would surely welcome this process.”
Hurrah! Bring it on Bubba! You’ve got the time? We’ve got the facts. Let’s get it all out!
My My My .. what is that??
According to Richard Miniter... you're pretty much dead-on. Among the documents Burger stole was a list of 4 proposals dealing with killing/capturing OBL. There was a handwritten 'NO' after each one... in Rapist42's own handwriting.
"I'm remembering the Clinton people that sat on the 9-11 Commission wagging their fingers, especially Gorelick."
Don't forget the other Clinton lawyer on the Committee, Ben-Veniste, who in fact was the first person to criticize this movie. It makes you wonder what, exactly, his function was on the Committee.
I think this is one of those keep looking posts.
I'll keep an eye out for that.
We've just received a copy of a scathing letter that Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., Princeton's Sean Wilentz, Georgetown's Michael Kazin and a few other historians and professors have written to ABC chief Robert Iger. It demands that ABC yank the broadcast, labeling the network's explanations "disingenuous" and "dangerous": "A responsible broadcast network should have nothing to do with the falsification of history, except to expose it. We strongly urge you to halt the show’s broadcast and prevent misinforming Americans about their history." The full text of the letter after the jump.
Here's the full text of the letter:
Dear Robert Iger:
We write as professional historians, who are deeply concerned by the continuing reports about ABC’s scheduled broadcast of “The Path to 9/11.” These reports document that this drama contains numerous flagrant falsehoods about critical events in recent American history. The key participants and eyewitnesses to these events state that the script distorts and even fabricates evidence into order to mislead viewers about the responsibility of numerous American officials for allegedly ignoring the terrorist threat before 2000.
The claim by the show’s producers, broadcaster, and defenders, that these falsehoods are permissible because the show is merely a dramatization, is disingenuous and dangerous given their assertions that the show is also based on authoritative historical evidence. Whatever ABC’s motivations might be, broadcasting these falsehoods, connected to the most traumatic historical event of our times, would be a gross disservice to the public. A responsible broadcast network should have nothing to do with the falsification of history, except to expose it. We strongly urge you to halt the show’s broadcast and prevent misinforming Americans about their history.
Sincerely,
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.
Sean Wilentz, Princeton University
Michael Kazin, Georgetown University
Lizbeth Cohen, Harvard University,
Nicholas Salvatore, Cornell University;
Ted Widmer, Washington College;
Rick Perlstein, Independent Scholar;
David Blight, Yale University;
Eric Alterman, City University of New York.
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2006/sep/08/schlesinger_ wilentz_and_other_historians_to_abcs_iger_yank_dangerous_film
Gee. A bunch of blow-away leftists object to the film. How quaint.
None of these historians have researched, or know anything more than the average person, about the events leading up to 9/11. So how can they accuse ABC of fabrication? Unless they're intentionally echoing the Democrats' line regarding this film. Which I suspect is what they're doing.
I sent an email to Charlie Gibson last night, after his story abuot how the new SSCI was a blow to Bush, yada yada yada. Not once did Gibson mention the trheatening letter ABC received from the democrat leadership. Given the letter is in the public domain, and ABC doesn't even mention on their evening news, or post it on the web site, it is clear they are willing to give up their freedom on speech rights in order to cow-tow to hilly and billy. Pretty scarey. Furthermore, I have not heard anyone really talk about that letter..not even on FNC. Perhaps they will next week, but I doubt it.
Is this the movie they don't want seen? It's already hard to find on Google...obscured by the ABC movie. There are two movies out there.
I'm looking around for info on it, debg and find this entire thing very curious. Let me keep looking.
You make my point. He is giving credit to those frauds at Harvard because they trash Israel and the Jews. He is an agenda driven ass-ole. Just because we agree with his agenda when he is trashing Clinton does not mean he is a good guy.
Okay, I signed up at that site you linked and here's some information (viewers of the movie have made these comments):
The film follows three true stories: the arrest and investigatioin of Zacarias Moussaoui in 2001, the capture of Ramzi Yousef in 1995, and the aborted plot to capture/assassinate Bin Laden in 1998. The film explains how these three events led directly to 9/11. It is a look into the West's war against Islamic Extremism and how that war has been going on for decades.
The movie isn't about cover ups or conspiracy theories. It's about mis-cues from information gathered by the government over a 10-15 year period. It's a handful of stories that, on the surface, seem innocuous, but in the context to the tragedy paint a very depressing and frustrating picture.
The Director had this to say on the message board:
did, in fact, read the actual report while on a plane over Christmas break last year. I spent over six months on research in addition to the fact that I read a lot of non-fiction and read online political sites daily.
It is very much so a passion project. I intended to make this film no matter what. The Asylum graciously agreed to finance it once I pitched it to them. Additionally, they allowed us to do things that they wouldn't normally do, like shoot the film in D.C., London, New York, and Morrocco.
It's important that people understand that the actual events of 9/11 are only hinted at in this film. No people dying in airplanes, no stock footage of the towers collapsing. It is a political thriller like ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN, SYRIANA, TRAFFIC, or even some of the early Stone stuff like JFK and Nixon (without the crazy conspiracies).
I hope people enjoy it and that it inspires a lot of discussion and debate.
Well, well well...
Thanks for the ping...he's REALLY put himself out there. This might get interesting. He's PISSED.
You raise a good point. You would expect by now that the Alphabets would be raising holy stink about violations of free speech/censoring etc... If this were the GOP doing the Dems current censoring cabal instead those Alphabets would roar like a lion or Howard Dean. Their hypocrisy is truly astounding but not surprising.
Thanks for the ping...did you know this guy was on of the five that Azzam the American threatened on the lastest video???
Yeppers, he is...which means he probably knows a LOT of stuff they don't want out.
We need to see this movie. (I went back to the video store to see if one of the 8 came in but it had not.)
It may be nothing important but it may be why the left freaked out over the ABC movie...to cover up this movie.
I saw this guy on Hairball last week...but he wasn't asked any hard questions..but I can't remember now what he was asked.
Well, if he was on screwball he was only asked questions that would result in Bush bashing. Spitty chrissy is not interested in truth, only Bush bashers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.